February 25, 2022 | Vol. XLIV No. 8

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Signal Tribune Your Weekly Community Newspaper

VOL. XLIV NO. 8 BUDGET

Indigenous people call for the removal of giant penny statue, renaming of Lincoln Park see page 5

Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill

Friday, February 25, 2022 LOCAL BUSINESS

SIGNAL HILL

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Signal Hill City Hall.

Signal Hill City Council learns mid-year budget is on track, with lower revenue offset by even lower spending

COMMUNITY GATHERS AT SIGNAL HILL PARK FOR CANDLELIGHT VIGIL HONORING TERRY ROGERS Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Attendees of the memorial for late Signal Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioner Terry Rogers hold up electric candles while “Amazing Grace” is sung at Signal Hill Park on Feb. 23, 2022.

n A ita W. a H rris Senior Writer

C m E ma iD a M ig o

During its Tuesday, Feb. 22 meeting, the Signal Hill City Council reviewed the City’s 2021-2022 mid-year budget showing it is “on track” as of Dec. 31, 2021, according to City staff. Though the City pulled in slightly less revenue than expected after the first six months of its fiscal year, it spent even less than budgeted. The council also agreed to reallocate some of the City’s budget toward needed projects, including installing security cameras at the library and community center, putting a radar speed sign along a curved road at Obispo and Temple avenues, increasing park pest control and placing a permanent trash can at a litter-ridden trail overlook on Sea Ridge Drive.

a M naging d E itor

Sales-tax revenue on track, though some sectors continue to lag

Accounting Manager Jonathan Orozco said Signal Hill’s business portfolio continued to be “revenue resilient” during the first six months of this fiscal year, from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. Sales taxes are predicted to reach pre-pandemic levels between now and the end of this fiscal year of June 30, he added. Sales taxes—which account for 72% of Signal Hill’s total income, its largest revenue category—are on see SH BUDGET page 3

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

(Top) Signal Hill Mayor Keir Jones speaks to attendees at a candlelight vigil for late Signal Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioner Terry Rogers at Signal Hill Park on Feb. 23, 2022. (Bottom) An attendee of the vigil holds up an electric candle while Mayor Robert Garcia speaks.

Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune

Golden-colored pineapple syrup is poured onto a snowball with strawberry and blue raspberry syrup. The flavors create Fluffy’s Sno-Balls’ signature rainbow snowball on Feb. 23, 2022.

This jazzy Long Beach sno-ball shop brings Big Easy cool to SoCal

ommunity members gathered for a candlelight vigil at the Signal Hill Park Amphitheater Wednesday, Feb. 23, to mourn the life of Commissioner Terry Rogers, who died on Jan. 30. At the park, wreaths of yellow flowers flanked posters with images from Rogers’s life, often surrounded by friends and community members. She was known for being prolific in the community, with speakers at the event noting how she seemed to be everywhere. “I can’t recall a chamber of commerce lunch or one of the events downtown or an event for the Salvation Army, or some event that Terry wouldn’t immediately run up to me and say hello and give you a big hug,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said. “I would run into her at airports in Sacramento. You just ran into her all over.” Rogers served on the boards of the Signal Hill Police Foundation, Signal Hill Community Foundation, Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce, Signal Hill Historical Society and Friends of the Signal Hill Library. Her service also extended to the Signal Hill Rotary, Salvation Army and Rock for Vet’s Music is the Remedy. She was involved in the subcommittee to help design the library, as well as one for the new Heritage Park. She received numerous awards of recognition throughout her career, many of which were on display at the vigil. She was recognized as a Woman of Distinction by Senator Alan Lowenthal in 2012 and again by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell in 2015. She was recognized twice as Signal Hill Community Service Volunteer of the year in 2014 and 2018.

Walking into Fluffy’s Sno-Balls on Long Beach Boulevard is like stepping into the French Quarter of New Orleans (NOLA)—there’s the sound of jazz, beads and NOLA style snowballs (sno-balls). Founder Kevyn Lee had dreamt of introducing the New Orleans-style shaved ice since his arrival in Los Angeles in 2005. He had just made the over 1,000mile trek to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina struck Lousiana when he realized he couldn’t find the icy treat in Southern California. In April 2021, over fifteen years after arriving in California and in the middle of the pandemic, Lee made his dream a reality, leaving behind his corporate career and investing his life savings to open the shop with the support of his fiancé Darren Wellington. “I want to bring families together because that’s one thing that snowballs [do], it brings friends and family together and that was a priority of mine,” Lee said of his product. Growing up in the South, snowballs have been part of Lee’s life since childhood. At 12 years old he worked at his grandmother’s convenience store making the treat and

see ROGERS page 2

see SNOWBALLS page 4

It just seems

Karla M. Enriquez iD gital d E itor


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